The present invention relates to optical information reading apparatus for reading optical information such as a bar code or characters printed on a record medium such as a label or the like.
As a conventional apparatus of this type, there is a Japanese patent application having a laid-open patent number 60-171581. This patent application discloses optical information reading apparatus comprising a red LED to illuminate a label on which an optical information such as a bar code or characters is printed so that an image of the optical information by light reflected therefrom is imaged on an image sensor thereby to convert the image into an electric signal by an electronic scanning operation.
However, since the red LED consumes about 80% of the electric current required for the whole apparatus, it provides too great of a drain to allow, a battery to be used to drive a red LED type reading apparatus.
As general background art, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,120, 4,488,678, 4,516,017, 4,528,444 and 4,538,060 and the U.S. patent application of Hara et al Ser. Nos. 517,745 filed July 27, 1983 and 693,825 filed Jan. 23, 1985 and now abandoned.